Martha A. Sandweiss Bücher

Clarence King, a prominent figure in nineteenth-century western history, was a brilliant scientist and bestselling author who mapped the West after the Civil War. Lauded by John Hay as “the best and brightest of his generation,” King concealed a profound secret from his peers and family: for thirteen years, he led a double life as both the celebrated white explorer and a black Pullman porter named James Todd. The blue-eyed son of a wealthy trader crossed the color line, revealing his true identity only to his common-law wife, Ada King, on his deathbed. Martha Sandweiss, a noted historian, is the first to uncover King’s concealed life, exploring the complexities of a man who publicly championed a vision of a uniquely American “race” while privately nurturing his love for Ada and their five biracial children. The narrative unfolds the story of a family navigating the intersections of celebrity, class, and race—from the “Todds” wedding in 1888 to Ada’s death in 1964, one of the last Americans born into slavery, and ultimately to the legacy of King’s granddaughter, who married a white man and adopted a white child to shield her family from racism. This remarkable research spans from the Civil War to the civil rights era, revealing a uniquely American tale of self-invention, love, deception, and race.

When envisioning the American West, we often think of iconic images like bearded forty-niners, the Oklahoma land rush, and the legendary cowboy. However, these depictions represent only a fraction of the West's rich history. The narrative begins with the Navajos' arrival over seven hundred years ago, continues through the Spanish settlements in New Mexico in the late sixteenth century, and includes the Mormon migration to the Great Salt Lake, culminating in the modern tourist attractions of Las Vegas. The West embodies a diverse tapestry of voices and cultures, reflecting the broader American experience. Lavishly illustrated and grounded in rigorous scholarship, this comprehensive study presents the multifaceted nature of the region, showcasing contributions from twenty-eight leading historians. They offer nuanced portrayals of the West as a unique landscape populated by various peoples—native and non-native, European, Asian, African, and Latino—and diverse terrains, from the Pacific Northwest to the Dakota Badlands. The exploration includes the economic booms from gold and oil, the West's role in the national and global economy, and the environmental challenges arising from human activities. Additionally, it delves into the social dynamics that fueled violence and the significant political movements that shaped the region.